Christmas Miracle
by Forbiddensoul562
Summary: On the night of Christmas Eve, all the through the apartment not a sound can be heard, not even the clicking of keys. Mello is busy wrapping his gifts with care. When suddenly up from the side bedroom... appears but a disturbance, which may just wreak havoc on the simple Christmas tradition. For nothing ever quite turns out just the way that it should. MelloxNear.


Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, nor any of the characters contained therein.

Written for: HaleyBopComet

* * *

Title: Christmas Miracle

 _'Dammit, this is horrible…'_ Mello berated, exhaling a frustrated sigh as he tore off a final strip of tape and placed it atop the jumbled, folded edges of wrapping paper which he'd somehow wrangled into submission to cover his gift.

It was just a simple rectangular shaped box… how could he have _possibly_ managed to wrap it in such a way that resulted in the jutting of various pieces contorting such an uncomplicated shape? Wrapping gifts was most definitely _not_ Mello's strong suit; especially not when the task was being rushed and likewise conducted such low lighting.

But what other choice did he really have?

He looked up from the mess of paper and wrapped gifts on the counter in front of him and out to the living room where the single source of lighting allowed him to conduct his late night venture. In the corner of his apartment living room sat the Christmas tree, lit by strands of lights of varying colors and lightly covered in both plain colored and themed ornaments. The entire undertaking had been Near's idea, and one he knew that if it'd been left to Mello he would have skipped the tradition all together for the sake of both time and money.

But having it, and getting to decorate it made Near happy, and in some inexplicable way the orange hues radiating off of it made Mello happy too. It was as if it's very presence within their lives drove home the fact that the two successors were actually spending their first Christmas together as more than rivals who were forced into the same general vicinity as one another. This was different. This was willing. This was partnership, and commitment, and titles that both were too scared to label one another as.

For the first time they were granted the opportunity to conduct the holiday however _they_ wanted rather than functioning within the confines of traditional, ceremonious guidelines that were hollow in all but image.

This was certainly different. This was two broken individuals sewing their cracked edges together for the first time. It was the beginning of a new chapter, of starting anew and creating some sort of new tradition together, one with real heart. The thought made Mello consider, as his looked back down to his crudely wrapped presents that perhaps this would end up becoming just another aspect within the carvings of their tradition.

Be that as it may, such fanciful considerations were better suited to be mulled over at a later time, for currently Mello was working within a very limited window of time.

He'd made sure Near was fast asleep before dislodging himself from the confines of the bed in order to wrap the gifts he'd been stashing away since his heroic battle and conquest on Black Friday. That said, he had no way of assuring that the younger actually _stayed_ asleep.

On one hand, a sliver of his thoughts said this entire undertaking would have been much simpler if he had merely slipped the younger detective some sleeping pills earlier that night. At least then he wouldn't have had to worry. Then again, Near would probably never trust him to give him food or drink again. Not to mention it would probably kill just a bit of the Christmas spirit…

Now on the night of Christmas Eve Mello needed to pull all of the strings to make his entire plan come together. He'd spent an entire month convincing Near that he wasn't getting him anything for the holiday, but if he could make this work… if he could get everything done and situated under the tree, what a surprise it would be for him in the morning!

In this way the making of their new tradition could begin.

It wasn't so much that Mello put a substantial amount of weight upon annual traditions, but rather what he did put weight on was the creation of normalcy, and fostering a basis upon which the two of them could work off of rather than the slippery, icy foundation of competition that had been their only grounding for such a long time.

Gathering up the small pile of gifts into his arms, he silently made his way from where he'd been working on the kitchen counter out to the tree sitting idly in the living room, it's meager presence a far removed sight from his childhood memory of the glorious, elaborately designed tree Wammy's had constructed every year. Then again, going above the top was never quite their style, either. Or perhaps it was Mello's, but not for these sorts of matters.

Gingerly he began placing the presents below the tree, organizing them all in such a way that _they_ would be noticed first in the morning while simultaneously imagining what Near would say, and what he would say in response. It was perfect. Everything was going perfectly according to-

"What are you doing?"

Near's voice manifesting suddenly behind Mello made him jump in surprise, dropping the last few presents to the wood floor below. He spun around to face him, suddenly all the more glad to have the dull orange lighting emanating from the tree to cover the red hue of embarrassment coloring his face. His eyes focused solely on the younger genius who stood now just outside their open bedroom door.

"Nothing!" Instincts forced him to spit out, immediately feeling his face heat more under the weight of those slate gray eyes watching him with interest and reserved amusement.

Near nodded, his eyes surveying the scene, "I'd be inclined to believe you if you weren't standing amidst a pile of incriminating evidence."

"Well, it seems you're not as good at your job as everyone thinks." He scoffed as Near proceeded forward into the room, his look moving up to the blonde momentarily before shifting back down to the gifts around him.

"You said you weren't getting me anything."

"I didn't. These are all for me. Don't be so conceited."

A small smile played across the younger's lips, acknowledging his remark but ignoring it all within the same breath. "I had a feeling you would do something like this, and even if I wasn't able to locate them within the apartment I figured you'd keep them off the premise. Probably in your car, if I had to guess."

To this Mello's look shifted to surprise, "You were looking? So now not only are you conceited, but you want to ruin surprises too!" Realistically he knew he shouldn't be surprised. Near was always a step ahead of him in every sense, whether it was investigations or Christmas. Mello just couldn't win…

Near shook his head, "Don't get me wrong, I had a feeling you might do something like this, but I'm still surprised to find that I was right." His look finally shifted from the crudely wrapped gifts up to lock onto Mello, "You didn't have to do this, but I'm glad that you did all the same."

So that was it… Mello was caught and Near had effectively ruined what was meant to be his Christmas morning surprise. He huffed in obvious annoyance, "You always ruin everything. If you knew what I was doing ahead of time the _sensible_ thing to do would've been to just confirm the suspicions tomorrow." He clarified, stepping out of the pile of incriminating evidence to clear the distance between the two, coming to stand in front of him, practically close enough to share air, their eyes locked with one another. "You ruined Christmas."

The smile only seemed to grow on Near's face, the sight immediately connecting the dots within Mello of Near's true motive. "Well then, if I've ruined Christmas then we might as well just open gifts now. No sense waiting a few more hours."

So _that's_ what this was really about. He ruined the Christmas surprise in order to sway Mello to give him the gifts he knew he was getting early. What a cheap trick to tie Mello up in...

"Not a chance. Now that you know you're just going to have to wait." He replied with a smirk before dipping down to capture the younger's lips in a kiss. He could feel the smile upon the other, and feel the way it seemed to melt into his very being, as though the feeling was being transferred between them like the oscillations of waves against two surfaces.

It was impossible to know exactly what it was that pushed him onwards, perhaps the simplicity of his aggravation of Near ruining his plans, but there was an electricity that short through Mello's bones and made him deepen the kiss and pull the smaller body closer against him. He pulled separated them just enough to allow words to escape though his lips still ghosted across Near's, "I have a few ideas for what we could do to pass the time until tomorrow morning."

There was a light hum against him, "Does it have something to do with opening gifts?"

He smirked, placing a quick kiss against him, "If that's what you want to call it."

Their lips connected again before Near could get out any sort of retort, Mello's hands moving to find their way beneath the other's shirt to ghost trails up his sensitive space, feeling his cool flesh and the way goose bumps seemed to form. It was absolutely and positively-

 _Ring! Ring!_

The ringing sound of the phone from within the bedroom broke the energized silence surrounding their actions; immediately causing both successors to pull apart. Near sighed looking down away from him, "It's mine." As if it would ever be anyone else's…

Mello crossed his arms over his chest with a small huff as Near backed away and retreated to the room. "Of course it is." Mello mumbled. Ruining moments was proving to be Near's specialty.

The ringing sound emanating from the bedroom was cut off as Near answered it, "Yes?" There was just an ounce of defeat lingering in his voice; immediately swelling Mello's pride to hear through Near's tone that he wasn't the only one disappointed by the interruption. "I see… Right. Yes, I'll look into it. I'll be in contact." One final click and again the room was left in silence.

He waited in his spot for another moment for Near to return to whatever this situation between them was turning into. But the solitude remained persistent and as the seconds ticked by, each one longer than the previous, finally Mello let his patience drop and he followed after him over to the room Near had escaped to, pushing the ajar door all the way open.

Near now sat on the side of the bed with one leg pulled up to his chest, a laptop that had previously been slumbering on the side table was now opened in front of him, casting an eerie glow upon his figure as analytical gray eyes scanned the screen.

"What was that about?" He asked, his arms crossing over his chest where he leaned against the doorframe. He already knew the answer before he asked, yet that didn't stop him from asking, for he knew Near well enough to know that otherwise the younger wouldn't have the foresight to say anything on his own.

"There's been an incident." He responded, his tone low and distracted, "I'm being offered the case."

Mello sighed, "So you're doing this _now_?"

"When would you prefer?" Piercing gray eyes flicked away from the screen up to the blonde before they almost instantaneously moved back to the computer screen.

"After Christmas." He stated, halfway wondering to himself if it was so much to ask for just a single day, or even two at the most where they wouldn't be disturbed by the untimely disruptions of the world?

"Crime doesn't stop for Christmas."

"No, but _people_ do." He said almost under his breath.

"Mello." The name was muttered with just an ounce of drag behind it, the detective's subtle way of telling him to leave him be and that he needed to work.

"Fine." He gave in with a final roll of his eyes, turning on his heels to leave the bedroom, to the living room which now felt so empty with merely the dregs of their festivities lingering therein. How any sort of holiday, let alone the cultivation of tradition, was supposed to be carried out with this hanging over them was beyond Mello. Yet at the same time, that wasn't to say he was quite so willing to allow Near to so quickly steal away what he had worked so hard to create. After all, quitting when the stakes were against him was anything but Mello's style.

He crossed the space to move back into the kitchen, pulling a carton of milk from the fridge. There was no way in Hell he was going to allow Near to so easily ruin _this_ for him, too.

-:-

Just a few long, hushed minutes later Mello moved back to the bedroom, pushing the door open once more, "Near, I-"

He stopped immediately in his tracks. Where had before resided the figure of the young genius setting into the statuesque front of one professionally attending to his duty, there was now merely the sight of him leaned back against the headboard of their bed, his eyes closed and features relaxed as the bright artificial light from the computer continued casting its warm glow against his alabaster skin. _'Of course…'_ Mello thought, taking a step into the room.

He quietly moved over to him, placing one hand on the back of the laptop to close it once more, when suddenly "How does one come to understand senseless violence?" Near's voice cut through the frozen scene, his eyes slipping halfway open onto the blonde. "Especially senseless violence against the likes of innocents."

Mello's look scrunched into confusion at those perplexing words... which came from not only a detective, but from _Near_ , one who was always so ruthlessly practical; one who cared not for the understanding of human, or human nature, but only for what role those individuals played in the realm of crime. Something wasn't right. "What happened?"

Near offered no response, hollow eyes merely sliding back to the screen still positioned before him on the bed. The older shifted to come into view of the screen. Immediately he wished he hadn't, though as the blood ran cold in his veins he likewise felt the string of understanding pull at his thoughts. It was painfully clear what was revolving within Near's head, for in that moment he felt it pull at the threads of his own heart, as well.

The screen was filled with a series of photograph files that had been opened, the first of which residing in the center depicting the metal overhang sign that pinpointed the location of this crime: 'Honorhall Orphanage.' Situated around the photo were others which detailed gruesome images of children, each the victim of an atrocious murder as they had slept in their beds. Each one of them suffered from gunshots in various parts of their bodies.

Mello's stomach churned in disgust until finally he had to turn away. That's why Near asked… his mind, trained for years in the art of picking apart crime scenes, dictated immediately that all this was was senseless, uncoordinated violence. But against orphaned children… There was no real explanation let alone justification that could ever be offered to rationalize such a move. He sighed, closing the laptop screen with the hand that had remained on the back panel.

"I have work, Mello." Near protested, sitting up once more.

"No, it's going to have to wait. You're done." Near's mind needed disentangling from the horrors that had suddenly ripped through his world. This case, if there even really was one, was far too close to their own standing, and hit too many repressed nerves. Even for someone as detached as Near.

"Mello."

"Don't." He protested, putting the computer back on the side table. "Come on. It's practically Christmas."

"Not for them it's not."

He shook his head without bothering to offer a rebuttal as he knew it would ultimately fall on deaf ears. Instead he took Near's hand and pulled him up from the bed and away from the scene, back to what needed to be reality; what he had so desperately tried to make their new normal.

They entered into the living room once more and over to the small round dining room table that was almost never used, where sitting atop were two mugs of lightly steaming dark liquid. "Hot chocolate." Mello explained to the unasked, questions hanging between them. "It'll help you sleep."

Near regarded the arrangement momentarily before allowing himself to sit down, "I don't like hot chocolate." He complained, yet reached out and took the mug between his hands while Mello took a seat across the table from him, taking note of the younger's every movement.

"That's all we have." He said, straightening himself out as he attempted to find the proper words to handle this crumbling situation He finally exhaled a heavy breath as silence settled over them, letting himself mull over the questions of just what he was supposed to do in this situation? Where could he possibly begin? What was he supposed to do? Where to begin?

He waited, ever quiet until Near lifted the mug up and took a sip, dark eyes never quite meeting Mello's own. "I have to take the case."

"No, you don't."

"If I don't take it then who will it fall onto?" His tone dropped off, "It deserves better than to have their case go to some overworked city investigator." He mumbled with another sip, those orbs lying transfixed upon only the faded wood of the table.

Mello's head cocked to the side, trying to get Near to look at him, "That doesn't mean you have to take every case that comes your way, Near. Everyone has limits and this is yours. This is just… too close to home."

His words trailed off, the thought following that this was not how this night was supposed to have played out. This holiday was supposed to be shared only between them, without such interferences. And yet true to history it seemed that Wammy's, and all they'd gone through in the past, always seemed to find a way back into the mix. It was the shadow lingering when the sun rose over the horizon.

"I don't _have_ limits." Near pressed, finally looking up to him with a frigid tinge to the gaze; it was the one he showed the world, the one meant for business, rather than the reality which Mello knew existed behind that wall. Seeing that wall wasn't startling, though. Near was slipping… falling back to the safety of practicality rather than trusting Mello, or perhaps placing trust in what he perceived to be the rest of the world.

"There's nothing wrong with it, Near." He asserted, "You're not nearly as cold and detached as you'd like to think you are."

Gray eyes looked him over as if reading him to determine where exactly Mello stood in the treacherous what of this debacle. "I don't have a choice. Handing these types of things is just part of the job." There was not only defeat laden within his tone, but acceptance as well, as though he was acknowledged that he detested the situation yet for one reason or another he was not willing to put his well-being before the work.

It was admirable… and perhaps one of the strongest, if not the most _foolish_ things Mello had seen someone do. But for all its commendable qualities, he could still see how it was adding pressure to the younger detective, as though his mere presence in Near's life made him the lone spectator to the weight of the world being steadily placed upon his shoulders. It was obvious in his diverted eyes down to the table, in the slump growing in his shoulders and the bend in his spine.

He'd seen these same effects this before as they had manifested within L himself, and watching his rival now made it that much more difficult to watch such a burden be so visibly transferred over.

But then he found himself wondering… Why did it have to be a lone transmission? Who said he needed to sit idly by and watch his partner be steadily crushed beneath the needs of an unthankful world? Why did one have to suffer alone as a martyr just to be the savior to the world?

Whoever it was, they were wrong, and Mello wasn't about to allow it to continue.

He stood up from his seat, the legs of the chair screeching against the floor boards and cutting through their shared tense silence. Abandoning his half drunk cup of hot chocolate he rounded the table, coming to stand behind the younger, distraught detective.

"Mello?" Near questioned, looking over his shoulder.

He placed both hands gently on Near's shoulders but with enough force to urge them to follow his silent commands, pulling his shoulders back and straightened from where they'd begun to slump forward. "Relax. Bring your shoulders back. Don't let them fall forward" He urge through a quiet, subtle tone.

As Near's spine rested upon the back of his chair Mello's warm hands shifted upwards, traveling up the smooth contours of his neck, feeling his pulse beneath his flesh as he came to rest lightly on his jaw, lifting his head up from where his downward gaze had lowered it. "Keep your head up." He ushered. "You'll miss the greater details if you allow yourself to look down all the time. You can't let the weight of the world push you down."

Near sighed, his chest caving in, "You honestly believe it to be that simple?"

"No, it's not, that simple, but that's why I'm here. If you would stop being so damn stubborn and listen to me for a change."

The two of them remained in that position for a moment later before Mello moved his hands back down to his shoulders, his lips following the downward movement to come to rest at Near's ear, his hands tightening over the tense muscles beneath him. "The world and all of its miseries is a painful enemy to fight against; especially if you keep trying to do it on your own. If you're so insistent to take cases like this… then you're not doing it by yourself. It doesn't have to be you against the world. Trust me I've spent my entire life coming to terms with that."

He took a breath in, swallowing any blinding pride for the moment, "By all means, take the world by storm, but know that _I know you_. I know what you go through, and I know how to keep you anchored to the ground." It was as close to sentimentalities as they could get.

But that was part of what kept both of them together… that mystifying reading between the lines and balancing upon assumptions that could just as quickly tower up to the heavens as it could topple them into Hell. Who else could either of them trust to such an extent? Who else was worth the time and effort of playing these games?

No one. For theirs was based on the immaturity of naive rivalry which had been developed, cultivated and matured and could hardly manifest the same way with anyone else.

"You don't need to." Near finally responded.

"I never said I did." He said, applying pressure to the muscles with his thumbs once more before pulling away and slipping around to stand before him. "Come on, let's go."

Near regarded him momentarily with latent suspicion before finally complying with little more than a sigh, finding it simpler to merely allow Mello to have his way, though his acceptance at the same time seemed to likewise imply that a part of Near liked having just an ounce of the control suddenly plucked from his hands when he most needed it to be. Oh how Mello would have surely abused such a privilege in his youth…

He led him from their spot at the table back into the bedroom, saying not a word to him as he delicately began to undo each of the buttons on Near's shirt, all the while those questioning orbs remained steady and unsure on him.

"Relax." He whispered as he undid the last button and pushed the material free from where it hung on his shoulders. "Just trust me."

A small huff was released in response. "I suppose if I must." It was just another instance of reading between the lines to the real message beneath it.

"Good." He led him to the edge of the bed, "Now lie on your stomach." He commanded, urging him onwards with a slight flick of his head in the general direction.

Near looked from him to the bed with an equal amount of suspicion before continuing his complying streak, moving onto the bed and sliding up the length to lie on his stomach, head resting on his pillow.

Mello looked him over momentarily, taking in the alluring sight of how Near's muscles pulled under each movement, painting soft, faint lines along his figure rather than the harshness Mello so often saw in himself. His figure was the angelic brushstrokes of the finest piece of art to his eyes. It was in such moments that Mello found himself endlessly thankful to be the one charged with the responsibility of holding Near's form in perfect alignment. Not that he would ever breathe those words to anyone but himself.

He climbed atop the bed, maneuvering himself over Near's body to rest over him, careful to not put too much of his weight on his delicate frame. Near's flesh was warm beneath his hands as his fingers rubbed the muscles in his back, feeling the younger audibly relax with a heavy sigh as the stress was worked out of his body with each subtle movement. He rubbed small circles against his lower back, feeling the muscles and each vertebrae of his spine beneath him.

Near sighed, "What am I supposed to do?" He asked quietly, almost barely able to be heard, purposefully muted for it was not the sort of question Near ever wanted to ask. Even now, when it was just between the two of them, such perceived weaknesses were difficult to admit… that he didn't know how to maneuver within this situation. "How do you handle such things? These sorts of senseless acts are more common found in your line of work, after all." His words trailed off, seeming to stop himself before he rambled too far on.

Mello's thumbs worked on the tense muscles, moving further up his lithe body as he contemplated the question, "I stay away from any unnecessary violence as far as I can control. But beyond that… you just try not to think about it." He said in a heavy exhale. "If you allow yourself to look for a legitimate reason behind the horrors of the world, you're just going to spiral downwards. People do things without reason to cause harm and pain to others without really considering what they're doing. That's… what it comes down to."

He paused long enough to collect his thoughts, "Those children didn't deserve what happened to them, and no doubt they deserve to have their killer found and punished. But that doesn't mean that the case has to fall upon your shoulders." His hands finally made it up to his shoulders, feeling the knots in the muscles and doing his best to work them out.

Near's eyes were blank and far-off as they stared into the void, lost within the vastness of his own thoughts, "I understand crime, Mello. I understand why a man kills his wife out of rage for finding her with another man. I understand the women who join organized crime to help her family because it pays better than any legal job. But what I don't understand is acts against children… especially those who have already had the world taken from them."

His movement came to a stop, placing all of his attention on watching and taking in the appearance of one so utterly and quickly taken down by the visual of those he could actually connect to, as opposed to his normal routine of utterly isolating himself away in favor of some semblance of practicality.

"No one is asking you to understand it. Hell, I doubt even L himself could understand such a thing."

"It's my _job_ , Mello."

To this Mello applied just a tad more force, pushing just a bit too hard on the area, "That's _not_ your job, and that's my point. Your job is to survey cases that are offered and take and solve the ones that interest you. You are not a machine, Near, you can't just take them all because you think that's what people out there expect from you. If you do people are going to start taking advantage of that, and of you."

Near's eyes closed as he exhaled a heavy huff, "Never would have thought I would be hearing such a thing from you of all people."

"Obviously it must be a Christmas miracle, then." He said in a low tone, running his hands down Near's back once more, feeling the adjusting of his spine in response to his pressure before Mello finally slipped off him to lie next to the detective, crystalline blue eyes now becoming the ones to analyze the younger who shifted over to meet his gaze.

"Come here." Mello muttered, reaching out and pulling Near against him before he could protest. "One way or another it'll be fine, alright?" He told him, leaning down into the soft curls of Near's white locks of hair.

Surprisingly the younger responded immediately to being pulled against him, as if he'd been waiting for the cue, his body sliding as close as he could to the blonde, arms wrapping around his waist and sliding up under the loose black shirt Mello wore to come to rest upon the warmth of his back. It felt as though it was Near's way of silently telling Mello that for just this one minute he needed that security of skin-on-skin contact.

"I have to take the case, Mello." Near muttered against him, his eyes closed.

"Near-"

"Something happened when we were children… something that took each of us from our families, and from what had been our reality which inevitably crossed our paths with L to get us where we have ended up. In a way the same thing has happened for these children, caught within the crossfire of something beyond them and tearing them away from any opportunities that could have been afforded to them. I feel it would be an injustice to their memory if I turned this down just because of some internal connection I feel to their situation."

Mello remained silent, allowing the words to sink beneath his skin and process before he spit the first thing that came to mind, which surely would have protested for how such an internal connection had all the potential to blind his judgment. But at a certain point realistically he knew that Near was going to make these decisions regardless of what he said… Near was just that stubborn, and to be honest Mello would be lying if he said it wasn't a quality he otherwise liked.

So at the end of the day there was only one option Mello was left with, "Fine. Have it your way." He reached between them to lift Near's chin up so their eyes could meet, "If that's what you're doing then I'll start combing my contacts and see if I can find out anything about this incident."

"Excuse me?" He asked, brows knitting together in obvious confusion.

"I told you you're too conceited." He retorted. "You're not the only one with a connection to those kids. _I_ was raised in an orphanage too, if you weren't aware. If you're insistent on being so blatantly stubborn then I'm just going to have to help solve this case. Considering my connections to the underground, don't be surprised if I figure this out before you."

Near regarded him for another moment, his eyes narrowing by just a fraction as though analyzing percentages of just what Mello was getting at and where exactly it was all coming from. Though finally he released the breath of air caught within his lungs, "Whatever you say. Have it your way."

"I always do."

"I'll report to them my decision." He paused, "After Christmas."

Mello smirked, "Now you're finally getting it."

Near chuckled lightly, silence gently descending upon the room around them, cradling the two successors with their thoughts and contemplations which now seemed to be just a bit more at ease than it had been previously.

The storms within them both were still in turmoil, and all Mello could think to himself was that this was certainly _not_ how he had wanted to spend Christmas Eve with Near. This was not the sort of tradition he had wanted to foster between them… yet the more he contemplated it, the more he wondered if what he had been trying to do was fighting fate, and fighting the reality that perhaps they hadn't wanted, but what they had been forced into all the same.

Perhaps the sense of normalcy he wanted for them, the regularity within their lives that was so crucial to creating any sort of future together lay not within his ability to separate from the nature of their work, but instead in learning how to bring both of those realms together… to have the ability to see and understand what the other was going through and support them and help shoulder the burdens of their own individual world if the need called for it.

It was a reality Mello had been fighting against his entire life… but the more he thought about it… the more it seemed as though that was exactly what he needed if he wanted even a glimmer of hope of keeping the one person who had been so consistent in his life, and so _frustratingly_ supportive the entire time.

In this instance it was his turn to be there for Near, to support him in a venture he didn't quite agree with him on regardless of what his pride and their extensive history said.

And perhaps… perhaps in its own way that was what he could truly offer to Near for Christmas. His support, his trust, his love. And that in, for the two beings who needed neither spoken words nor written letters to understand such a fact, was in its own way just as miraculous of a Christmas miracle.

* * *

I didn't want to give it away at the beginning of the piece, but these were written for the requests:  
1\. Mello and Near share an apartment together. Wanting to make the other's Christmas special, Mello awakes in the middle of the night to place lots of presents for Near under the tree -but little does he know, Near is watching the entire time!  
2\. Upon taking on a gruesome investigation, Near finds himself depressed after viewing the inhumanity and gory photos involved with it. Mello notices and decides to take care of him -Ensue generic fluff with hot chocolate and cuddles in bed.

A/N: I'm not quite sure what to say with this piece. I'm sorry if it came across as disjointed, or if it didn't flow well. I struggled a lot with writing it and attempting to make it work. So I hope that Haley enjoys my gift to her, and I hope all of you enjoyed reading the piece as well! I would love to hear any thoughts you have on this. From me to you, and your family, I hope that all of you out there have a wonderful Christmas, or any holiday you may celebrate!

Please review  
 _-Forbiddensoul562_


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